Copenhagen, Denmark – 31 March 2014 – Novozymes Biopharma DK A/S, a subsidiary of Novozymes A/S, a world leader in bioinnovation, has announced that its albumin-based VELTIS half-life extension technology is being used by GlaxoSmithKline in the recently authorized Eperzan® (albiglutide) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in Europe.
The application of Novozymes’ VELTIS technology in the drug delivers an extended half-life which will enable patients to inject only once per week.
“The first approval for a product based on Novozymes’ VELTIS technology, and marketed by one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, marks a significant milestone for our half-life extension platform”, says Thomas Videbæk, Executive Vice President, Business Development, Novozymes. “We consider this authorization real proof that VELTIS can offer true benefits to patients, reducing the inconvenience with daily drug dosing.”
VELTIS technology is a series of native and engineered human albumins. When combined with a drug candidate it offers the potential for tunable control of therapeutic half-life in a manner previously unachievable with other half-life extension platforms. In particular, the technology opens the door towards weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly dosing regimens, a monumental shift away from the daily dosing regimens currently necessary to manage medical conditions.
The technology also offers Novozymes’ other partners, such as the recently announced Janssen Research & Development collaboration, the market’s only half-life extension technology using animal-free recombinant human albumin. The combination of these unique elements means that Novozymes’ technology can help partners develop and take improved and innovative drugs from clinic to market more efficiently.
The market approval for Eperzan does not impact Novozymes’ financial outlook for 2014.
For further information on Novozymes’ VELTIS half-life extension technology, visit www.biopharma.novozymes.com
About Novozymes
Novozymes is the world leader in bioinnovation. Together with customers across a broad array of industries, they create tomorrow’s industrial biosolutions, improving their customers’ business and the use of our planet’s resources. Novozymes Biopharma develops and manufactures high-quality, safe, biological based ingredients and technologies to provide pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers the knowledge-based solutions needed to address the challenges in developing innovative, safer, and more consistent final products. By combining their unique knowledge around recombinant albumin, half-life extension and hyaluronic acid with the specific application knowledge of their customers, Novozymes is committed to working with companies to deliver improved performance and safety for next-generation of medical device and pharmaceutical products. Read more at www.novozymes.com.
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